


I See the Light

by platinumllamas



Series: Musicality [4]
Category: ASTRO (Band)
Genre: Based on Tangled, M/M, Magic, Meet-Cute, Minor Swearing, Romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-03-17
Updated: 2019-04-08
Packaged: 2019-11-19 14:25:20
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,341
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18136916
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/platinumllamas/pseuds/platinumllamas
Summary: Bin slowly opened the green wooden windows and slipped inside. He closed the windows and sighed. Not realising his surroundings, he felt something hard and metallic smack the back of his head and he blacked out.





	1. Chapter 1

Myungjun opened the window to a bright new day. He breathed in the fresh air with relish.

 

It was a few days before his birthday and he was shaking in excitement! He's about to turn 20 meaning his mother would have to let him at least leave the tower for a short time to see the lights. These lights float in the sky annually exactly on his birthday. His mother always said they were stars but Myungjun knew better. The books he read on astronomy pointed out that this was not a normal occurrence in the slightest. It was an anomaly and he wanted to see where they came from.

 

His mother was not due to arrive for another hour or so, so Myungjun decided to crack down on his chores. Cleaning, sweeping, wiping and brushing his 100 feet long hair.  


His hair was long, almost golden in colour and magical. He does not know the origin to how he got his hair but it was a reason his mother couped him up in the tower. His hair does glow when he sings and heals the recipient when it does so.

 

Speaking of healing and glowing golden hair, Myungjun heard his mother call from down below.

 

“Myungjun! I'm not getting any younger down here!” Myungjun jumped down from his bed and hurried to the window to fix his hair to the pulley device.

 

He huffed as he heaved his mother up the tower. The many times per day where he had to do this, gained him a ton of strength in his arms.

 

“Morning Mother,” he greeted once she stepped down from the windowsill and he unhooked his hair. He did not notice his laboured breaths until his mother pointed it out.

 

“You should exercise more if pulling me up is such a task for you. Now hurry and get ready I've been feeling rather tired today.”

 

Myungjun grabbed the stool and brush while his mother sat down.

 

He quickly sang the tune that made his hair glow not realising how his mother brushed it frantically.

 

“Myungjun!” She scolded.

 

“I'm sorry, mother!” He apologised, “I'm just really excited about what I want to tell you!”

 

“What is it?” She sighed, rubbing at her temples.

 

Myungjun felt the rush of excitement leave his body. “I-i was wondering if I can finally get to see the floating lights? ‘Cause you know it'll soon be my birthday again.”

 

His mother groaned, “Not with this again! Must I remind you how dangerous the outside world is?”

 

Myungjun opened his mouth but closed it once his mother went on another tirade like the ones he had before. Ranging from deadly Flora and Fauna to people who would exploit him for his hair. He knew at least half of these were exaggerated as the books he read would prove otherwise, but he had to take his mother's word for it too.

 

“You're not strong enough for the outside world! What makes you think they'll be kind and gentle to you? People are selfish and cruel and you won't survive.”

 

Myungjun bowed his head.

 

His mother sighed.

 

“You know how much I love you right?” She asked as she held his hands in hers.

 

“Yes, I do mother.” Myungjun ignored his heart hurting from denial. His mother pulled him into her embrace to hug him before she left.

 

“I'll return for dinner so don't worry your little head of yours!”

 

“Of course mother,” he replied and lowered her back to the bottom of the tower.

 

He slumped under the windowsill and hugged his knees to his body and buried his face into his arms.

  


Bin wrapped the harness around his waist and gave the thumbs up to Hyunseok and Youngjin. They grunted in response and lowered him through the ceiling. The prized crowned jewel was in sight. The Lost Prince's crown.

 

There was only one standing guard so, this was going to be a piece of cake. He gave a tug to signal his partners to lower him down. He pocketed the crown into his satchel.

 

The guard sneezed loudly.

 

Bin not having the self-restraint to miss an opportunity let his mouth speak before his brain.

 

“Hay fever?”

 

“Yeah, it's pretty bad,” the guard sniffed before doing a double take and saw the thief climb out of the hole in the ceiling.

 

Bin cackled as he and the other two ran into the woods. A noise of horns, shouting and galloping horses resonated across the area.

 

They dodged tree stumps and vines until Bin halted to a stop as he spotted something that annoyed him.

 

“Oh come on!” He exclaimed and ripped the wanted poster off the tree. “I have lips right guys? Yeah! So why do they insist on not drawing any at all?”

 

Youngjin and Hyunseok sighed before snatching him by the arms to keep him running from the closing party of guards.

 

They kept their fast pace until they came across the bottom of a small cliff.

 

Hyunseok snatched the satchel from him. “Don't have any ideas about running off with this,” he warned before positioning himself on Youngjin’s shoulders so, Bin would be able to climb up.

 

Bin clambered up the makeshift human ladder while secretly sneaking the satchel off of Hyunseok.

 

“Now help us up,” Hyunseok said, holding out a hand.

 

Bin knew they would leave him in the dirt the first chance they could get if he continued to help them so he simply smirked and made a run for it. Changing paths to lose them.

 

His heart rate picked up when he saw a shadow enter his peripheral vision. Said shadow then found its place in front of him. The figure’s horse huffed into his face before nuzzling him.

 

“Sorry girl, I don't have any apples on me this time,” he said as he petted the white mare. “Hey, Dongmin.” He grinned up at the guard sitting on the horse.

 

“What did you do this time Bin?” came the grumpy reply.

 

“Now that's no way to greet a friend of yours is it?”

 

“You're hardly a friend after all the shit you've pulled.” Dongmin stared long and hard, something that would get Bin to feel guilty about what he did if he was not so preoccupied with coddling the horse.

 

“What do you plan on doing then?”

 

“I'm going to take you in and make sure you get a fair trial and punished accordingly.”

 

“And what if I'm executed for my petty theft? What then?” Bin cocked an eyebrow.

 

Dongmin floundered a bit before regaining his composure. “I can assure you that you aren't killed for what you did.”

 

“Even when I stole the lost Prince's crown?” Bin asked innocently.

 

Dongmin gaped at him. “You fucking didn't-”

 

“Uh uh, language Dongmin and I've got to make ends meet in this cruel world somehow.” Bin dangled the satchel containing the precious crown before legging it.

 

“At least give me the bag instead of being turned in and killed,” Dongmin yelled after him. Bin did not hear any galloping from the horse so that meant she refused to move, leaving his dear friend to chase after him on foot.

 

Bin did his best to lose him but knowing Dongmin, he was hot on his trail. He was so busy glancing back at him that he did not notice the upcoming hill of which he fell down. The tumble was so fast and rough, it loosened his hold on the satchel that went flying.

 

Bin picked himself up and saw the satchel hanging on a tree branch, over a cliff.

 

He groaned and made his way across the unnecessarily long branch to retrieve the satchel.

 

“Are you serious?” He heard Dongmin ask.

 

“Very- what are you doing?” Bin yelled back when he saw that Dongmin was attempting the same.

 

“Trying to save you!”

 

“Don't be dumb!”

 

“Oh am I now?” Dongmin countered.

 

“Shut up!” Bin hugged the branch close as he clawed for the satchel.

 

A crack sounded after Bin made a lunge for it and grabbed the handle. He exchanged a fearful look with Dongmin as the branch shuddered and broke off from under them.

 

The two of them fell a short distance before they were flung away and separated.

 

Coughing out of pain, he stared at the sky.

 

“Dongmin are you good?” Bin called.

 

“Yeah!” Came the very distant reply.

 

“Okay bye then!”

 

Bin got up and hissed in pain before walking off to hide somewhere. He searched until he came across a cave covered in moss and vines.

 

Bin froze in surprise what he found beyond it. There stood a tall tower in the middle of a lush glade. He heard Dongmin call out to him and he hurried towards the tower.

 

Once he got the bottom of the tower, he stared up at it.

 

This was going to be a very long and painful climb.

 

He pulled out his dagger for extra support and started climbing.

 

Bin slowly opened the green wooden windows and slipped inside. He closed the windows and sighed. Not realising his surroundings, he felt something hard and metallic smack the back of his head and he blacked out.

  


Myungjun squealed when the stranger crumpled in a heap. He had no clue whether he killed him with the frying pan in his hand.

 

The stranger had fallen face first. Prompting Myungjun crouched beside him and turn his head to see who trespassed his home.

 

The man that lay on his floor had black hair that grew past his forehead in a longish fringe. His nose was small and rounded at the tip. Lips were petite, his bottom was full but the top was thin.

 

Myungjun thought that he was pretty and not like the people his mother described.

 

The man grunted and in a panic, Myungjun hit him with the pan once more.

 

Panting, he looked at the satchel that the man was holding and picked it up.

 

He knew it was a satchel but it was also very heavy and checked the inside to find some sort of object.

 

He pulled it out and examined it.

 

He had never seen anything like it before. It was gold, round and sparkling with what looked like colourful jewels. Still not knowing what it is, he placed it on his arm. Maybe it was an arm decoration?

He wrinkled his nose when he found it was too big. He then placed it on his head and took a look at his reflection. It fit. And made sense.

 

He studied his appearance, the colours popped against his long blond hair. As if on instinct he stood a little taller, and felt the confidence flow in him.

 

The spell broke, however, when-

 

“Myungjun~!” His mother called from down below.

 

He gasped and hid the satchel in a pot and heaved the man into his closet.

 

“Myungjun!” He could hear the impatience in her voice and dashed to the window. “Really Myungjun, you need to be faster at this,” his mother reprimanded after he helped her in.

 

He nodded, mind elsewhere. He has to show her the man in his closet. To prove that he could look out for himself.

 

“Uh, mother?”

 

“Yes, dear?” His mother replied, shrugging off her cloak and sat back down at her usual chair.

 

“There's something I need to tell you… About the floating lights and the outside?”

 

“Again?”

 

“Well, I think I will survive what the outside will throw at me.”

 

His mother gave him a long look. “Really?” Myungjun ignored the sarcasm in her voice.

 

“No. I'm saying that maybe the world out there is not as dangerous as we thought and that the people are not monsters.” Myungjun backed up to the closet. “And something happened that might change your-”

 

“Enough Myungjun! You're not leaving this tower ever!”

 

He froze, his mother never yelled at him like that and his arm dropped from the handle of the closet.

 

“Oh great! Now I am the bad guy,” his mother lamented.

 

“No, it's okay,” Myungjun assured her, his mother kept quiet and he could feel the guilt eating him alive. “Now I know what I want for my birthday, mother.”

 

“What is it?”

 

“New paint from the place you got from last time?”

 

His mother wiped her hands down her face. “But that's a three-day trip!”

 

“I know it's just I've got nothing else I want.” Myungjun kept his arm latched onto his other.

 

His mother sighed. “Okay, I'll be back.”

 

His mother opened her arms and for the first time, he hesitated. He walked into her embrace.

 

“I'm safe as long as I am in this tower. You won't have to worry about me.”

 

His mother patted his hair. “I know that.”

 

Myungjun helped her down the tower once more. Waving as she disappeared through the cave entrance.

 

He rubbed at his eyes.

 

What was he going to do now?

 

Remembering the man in his closet, he crossed over to it and opened it with caution.

 

The man slumped with his legs up. Myungjun prodded him, but this time he was not waking up. He heard a gentle snore emit from the man. The sound brought a smile to his lips before he frowned. He does not know what the man's agenda was so he had to make sure he was safe.

 

Myungjun pulled the man out and placed him in a chair and wrapped him with his hair.

 

Poked him. Nothing.

 

Shook him. Nothing.

 

Out of options on an awakening method, he went to pour some water into a cup and tossed it at the man.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Your hair glows,” Bin murmured, clutching onto his wounded hand.
> 
> “It doesn't just glow.”
> 
> Bin looked at him with wide eyes.
> 
> “What?”

Bin woke with a start, soaked in the face. Instinctively, he moved and found he was trapped by-

“Hair?”

Confusion was an understatement to describe the flood of emotions he felt.

“Struggling- struggling is pointless.” Came a light and airy but male voice.

“What?” Bin managed to say as he looked for the source of the voice.

There was so much hair.

A figure emerged from his peripheral vision, making him turn to see a man with long blond hair.

“Who are you and why are you here?” The man asked.

“Um… I'm Bin and I'm hiding?” The situation was so ridiculous he was unable to fully comprehend what was happening at all. “What about you?”

“Oh?” The man bit his lip as if he was not expecting to be asked himself. “I'm Myungjun and I live here.”

“Ah. So… What do you plan on doing with me?”

Myungjun squinted at him and raised a frying pan? And pointed it under his chin. Bin gulped.

“Are you here for my hair?”

Confusion clouded his mind once more, “Your hair?”

“Yes, my hair.”

“Uh no? I just want to get out of it.”

“So you don't want it?” Surprise evident in Myungjun's eyes.

“Why would I want it?” Bin asked still confused.

“Okay nevermind. Ignore it. What are you doing here then?”

“Alright listen, as I said before, I was hiding. And I had a satch-” Bin gasped, “-where is it?”

He looked back up at Myungjun, who was smirking. “I hid it.”

Bin groaned. What was he going to do now?

“Can I have it back?”

“Not unless we bargain.”

“A bargain?”

“Yes.”

Bin sighed. “Okay, what do you want?”   
“I-” Myungjun stated as he revealed a painting behind a curtain, “- want to see the floating lights.”

Bin recognised them as the lanterns the kingdom releases every year for the lost prince. “Oh, the lanterns?”   
Myungjun jumped back down and walked over to him. “Yes. Exactly what I meant. They show up every year on my birthday and I just want to see them in person.”

“So you want me to take you to see them in exchange for my satchel?”   
Myungjun’s face broke into the most brilliantly bright smile. “Yes!”

“A terrible decision really but alright.”

Myungjun whooped in excitement and unwound Bin from his hair. 

 

Myungjun peered over the edge of the window and watched Bin climb down. He looked up to the hook where he usually loops his hair through to help his mother up.

What was he doing?

“You comin’ blondie?” Bin called.

Myungjun breathed in and out slowly to calm his nerves and proceeded to slip down the extra length of hair and halting just above the ground.

He gasped, under him was the grass he had longed to feel. He slowly set a foot in the lush green and set down the other foot and wiggled his toes. It was soft and dewy. Myungjun made a noise in excitement.

“Is this your first time experiencing grass?”

Myungjun smiled sheepishly, “Yes.”

“Oh, wow.”

He tucked a hair behind his ear and prevented himself from crossing his arms in embarrassment.

Myungjun was slightly perplexed by the experience of being outside of the tower. One moment he was running and rolling around in the flower beds; the next, he was stricken with fear and anxiety over what his mother might think.

Bin squatted next to him when the euphoria of excitement died down. He felt a pat on his shoulders.

“Are you alright?”

“Yeah, I'm fine. A tiny bit fearful of what I might encounter."

They heard a rustling in the bushes. Myungjun stood up quickly and hid behind Bin.

The rustling stopped and for a moment, they both held their breaths. The rustling continued and out came a squirrel.

Myungjun stared at it in disbelief.

“What did you think it was?” Bin asked.

“I don't know thugs? Ruffians?”

Bin gave him a bemused look.

“Best to avoid thugs and ruffians?”

“Yeah,” Myungjun replied, a bit embarrassed.

“You hungry? Because I know a place where we can go for now.”

“Sounds great!” Myungjun grinned.

 

Bin lead him to a small tavern hidden in the forest called the Snuggly Duckling. From the outside, it looked like any old tavern, a little bit rough from the forces of nature and the faded paint of what once was a mellow yellow. Myungjun felt a bit relieved at the sight. But when Bin ushered him inside was when he realised what his guide was up to.

The noise was the first thing that hit him, there was music playing but also what seemed to be a crowd shouting and cheering.

Bin pulled him along to see what was happening despite him slapping his arm in protest. To his surprise, he found two men up in arms in a fight.

One was lithe and smaller than the other who was more muscular and larger. He watched the smaller man dodge and land hits against the other before locking him into a headlock with his legs.

“Oh my!” He whispered.

Bin chuckled beside him. “Don't worry they're merely roughhousing. Nothing bad happened or will happen.”

Myungjun, not believing him, clutched his frying pan and bundled his hair closer to his body.

“Well if it isn't Moon Bin.” He heard someone shout.

They froze.

The crowd stopped in the midst of their cheers and parted to let a tall man through.

Bin stepped forward after letting go of Myungjun's arm.

“Hello Junho, long time no see-”

Myungjun cried out when he saw the other man punch Bin in the stomach.

“Is this you?” The man interrogated, holding a poster in front of Bin's face.

Myungjun looked over his shoulder and made out what looked like Bin but his mouth was replaced with a line.

“Now that's just mean,” Bin wheezed. “And for your information that that looks nothing like me.”

“You're wanted for 100,000 worth of gold coins and that kind of money would set us up nicely.”

“Look Junho, I know you hate me but this is my home too.”

“Find the guards!” The man barked at another next to him and the guy ran. Junho looked at Bin and moved forward.

Myungjun stood in front of Bin. “No!’ he said firmly.

Junho looked at him, a mocking smile on his face. “Now who are you?”

Myungjun grimaced when the man touched his hair but stood his ground.

“None of your business.”

He noticed that there was a division in the tavern, people who looked like they could not wait to get the reward money and the other who looked worried.

“Mind if I cut in?” A voice asked from within the crowd.

Myungjun strained his head to see who was speaking and saw another man who was about his height stroll over to them.

“He is one of mine, Junho.”

Junho chuckled. “Jinwoo, you know as much as I do that he is no longer one of us.”

Myungjun glanced worriedly at Bin who had stiffened.

_ What are they talking about? _

“Don't you have somewhere else to be? You're going to be late,” Jinwoo said, looking bored.

Junho grunted and left the room along with some others.

Jinwoo turned to them with a smile. “Hey, Bin.”

Bin moved to give him a hug.

“Sorry.”

“Nevermind that right now.” Jinwoo looked at him. “Who's he?”

Myungjun half hid.

Bin leaned in to whisper something that he could not quite hear.

Jinwoo had a look of understanding on his face and gestured to the two of them to follow him. He led them to a small room at the back of the tavern and told them to sit down.

“We don't have much time until the guards come in because we don't know if the guy Junho sent has found them yet.”

The door opened and Myungjun saw the lithe fighter from earlier enter with another who looked way younger than him but also very tall.

The two of them tackled Bin into a hug. Well as much as they could as he was still in the chair. 

“Who's he?” The tall one asked.

“I'm Myungjun!” He introduced.

“Cool, I’m Sanha.”

“And I’m Minhyuk,” the smaller one said.

“Oh, you're the one I saw in that fight!”

“Yeah?” Minhyuk grinned.

“You're very skilled!”

Myungjun smiled at him and noticed a blush dusting his cheeks.

“What’s with the hair?” Sanha pointed.

“It’s uh-” he started. 

How would he explain without the crushing fear of being taken advantage of?

“He’s growing it out,” Bin cut in, Myungjun gave him a small smile in gratitude of which the other returned.

Myungjun stayed silent as the group discussed an escape plan.

He learned that there was a secret entrance to the inside of a gorge and it will lead them to the forest nearer to the kingdom.

“Where is Moon Bin?” Came the distant demand.

 

Bin quickly sat up, taking Myungjun's hand in his and followed Minhyuk to the secret entrance.

It was a push on a tiny lever by a grubby fireplace that opened up a small passage.

“Good luck,” Minhyuk wished and closed the entrance behind them.

“Come on,” Bin said and started walking.

They kept at a steady pace.

“So-” he heard Myungjun start, his voice surprisingly soft and melodic. “Where are you from?”

“Yeah, let’s not go there. I don’t do that kind of stuff.”   
“What stuff?” Myungjun leaned to look at his face, causing him to avert his eyes.

“Getting to know people. Making friends. Haven't for awhile now.”

“Oh.”

Before any more could be spoken, they heard shouting and felt the trembling of the cave.

“Bin?”

Bin knew what was happening and cursed. Grabbing Myungjun’s hand, they ran for it. They made it to the end of the tunnel and out to the gorge but stopped at the edge. The guards caught up to them.

“Myungjun go!”

He did not need to look as he held the frying pan at them, he knew Myungjun managed to use his hair as a swing of sorts; no matter how ridiculous it was. The guards attacked and he managed to knock them out, the last one landing heavily on a bit of scaffolding at the bottom of the dam in front of them.

He turned to Myungjun who was on the platform opposite him and grabbed onto the end of the hair he threw back at him. He swung down, narrowly missing the twins who had somehow shown up and landed some distance away from them as Myungjun came down to meet him.

They kept running and saw what hopefully was another tunnel and ran faster.

Bin heard a loud crack and whoosh, he turned his head and saw that the dam behind them had broke.

“Keep going!” He yelled.

They managed to get into the tunnel before a boulder fell behind them. To their horror, the hole was not another tunnel, but a cave!

Bin and Myungjun pushed themselves further into the cave away from the surging water as they searched for some sort of way out. Bin pushed and shoved at the back, yelping in pain when a rock sliced his palm.

The water started to rise past their knees.

Bin breathed heavily as panic began to build up and jumped into the water only to come back up because it was too dark.

Myungjun attempted to do the same but Bin quickly held him back.

“It's too dark!”

Defeat hit him and he slumped against the wall while the water kept rising.

“I'm sorry,” Myungjun said. “If I just stayed at home we wouldn't have gotten trapped in here!”

Bin reached out to hold his hand. “It's alright. You couldn't have known.”

This was all a matter of circumstance.

The water was built up to their necks when Myungjun gasped out loud.

“My hair glows when I sing!”

“What?”

But he did not answer and started singing a small melody as the water rose up and swallowed them.

Bright golden light flooded the cavern and Bin tracked it back to Myungjun's hair.

The other man pointed at where his hair was being sucked in by a hole.

They both swam down and started pushing and pulling at the mound of rocks that blocked an opening. The rocks fell loose and they were swept out into a river below.

Bin swam up and gasped for air and clung on to the earth next to the river.

He shivered from the adrenaline and the cool wind that brushed past him.

He stared at Myungjun in silence as the other offered a hand to him. He took it and pulled himself up and laid on the ground.

Myungjun laid beside him.

“We made it!”

“Your hair glows,” Bin murmured, clutching onto his wounded hand.

“It doesn't just glow.”

Bin looked at him with wide eyes.

“What?”

 

Dongmin stumbled upon a tavern after a vain attempt in searching for Bin. He was a bit sore from the tumble but did manage to get his horse back.

When he came across it, he decided to go in and wear a cloak to hide his guard armour after he tied Star’s reigns onto the fence outside, and entered the grubby building.

He tried to be inconspicuous but it was very hard when the moment he set foot in, he had the entire population staring him down.

He cleared his throat. “I'm looking for Moon Bin.”

“Who's asking?” He turned his head to locate who said that and found a man lazily lounging against the bar counter, another slightly taller than him stood on his right and another who was taller than both of them, stood at his left.

“I am.”

“Remove the hood then we may keep talking.”

Dongmin pulled the hood back and let it fall off his head.

Murmuring erupted around him, causing him to place a hand on the pommel of his sword.

The men quickly stood up. Dongmin followed their gaze to the gap that revealed his guard armour.

He mentally reprimanded himself.

The crowd had already pulled their weapons out.

His heart rate picked up as the obvious leader sauntered towards him. His hand moved to the hilt and waited.

“You have no business here.”

Dongmin stayed silent.

The man drew his sword and cut the string that held Dongmin’s cloak together.

He did not move.

“Not so tough are you?” the shorter man commented.

In a flash, Dongmin drew his sword and lunged at him.

The man was a worthy opponent who dodged and parried his attacks. But no match for his years of experience.

Dongmin disarmed him with a flourish and pointed his sword underneath the other's chin. Shouts of protest erupted and the group started to advance towards him before the man in front of him, held his hand up.

“ touché .”

Dongmin scoffed. “Have you seen Moon Bin?”

“And if I did what are you going to do about it?”

“I don't know, get him to right the completely stupid thing he did today?”

The man looked at him quizzically. “So you're not a palace guard?”

“I am but I guess I've gone rogue? Because Bin will die unless he returns what he stole.”

“Who are you to Bin?”

Dongmin tapped the man's chin with the flat side of his blade. “Who are  _ you _ to Bin?”

“Answering a question with a question, I like that.” The man grinned. “And if you must know, I'm the one who took care of him. I'm Jinwoo,” he introduced holding out his hand.

Dongmin sighed and sheathed his sword back in its scabbard and took it.

Big mistake.

Jinwoo swept a leg, catching both of his legs and tackled him until he was straddling his waist and holding a dagger at his throat.

Dongmin gulped.

“Now,” Jinwoo began. “Who are you? There's no way in hell that someone as pretty as you would be a palace guard. They're nothing but corrupt crooks.”

“What makes you think I'm not a corrupt crook?”

“I'm good at judging character and you did mention that you're only tracking Bin to save him.”

“So where is he then?”

Jinwoo tutted. “Name first and relation to Bin!”

“I'm Dongmin and I’ve known him since we were kids.”

Jinwoo's face softened. “So you're him.”

“I guess?”

Dongmin was confused by the change of emotion and the cryptic wording.

Jinwoo stood up and pulled him up. Dongmin dusted himself off and looked at the other curiously.

“I'll show you where they went, follow me.”

Dongmin scurried after him into a back room.

“Bin came in here with a guy called Myungjun,” Jinwoo informed. “So if you can't see him look out for long blond hair.”

“Pardon?”

“Myungjun. He has blond hair and it's surprisingly long.”

Dongmin was dumbfounded at this point. He had no clue what he was talking about.

“Okay,” he replied.

Jinwoo opened up a secret door in the fireplace.

He followed him down and the two walked in silence.

When they got to the end of the tunnel they were greeted by nothing but water and splintered wood.

“Um… Jinwoo?”

“The royal guards were here,” the other murmured.

“And you let them in?” Dongmin asked in disbelief.

“It's not like I had a choice, they knew where to look despite my group's effort to stall them. I didn't think this would happen!”

“How do we get through?”

“Swim?”

“No thanks, isn't there another way around?” Dongmin inspected the area.

“Yeah, unless you want to take longer to find them?”

Dongmin groaned. “Okay, fine. Let me just take off my armour.”

He started unhooking parts of his armour when he noticed Jinwoo looking anywhere but him. He smirked and continued untying the ties that held his breastplate together and pulled it off. He strapped his scabbard around his hips and cleared his throat.

The other scratched his ear with his lips pursed into a little pout after turning his attention back to him.

“Let's go,” Jinwoo said and climbed down.

Dongmin followed him once more. He noted the slowly draining water which meant it was not as deep as he thought it would be and that there was a hole of some sort. They followed the flow of the current to the door that would have led Bin and Myungjun to the other side and went through.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hello i was supposed to post this ages ago but got sidetracked :P  
> Let's see what happens next and let me know what you thought about this chapter!

**Author's Note:**

> Been working on this since October last year :')  
> Let me know what you think about this au and look forward to the upcoming chapters!
> 
> Yell at me:  
> [Twitter](https://twitter.com/Platinumllamas)  
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